1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for welding metal bodies together, at least one of which comprises a glassy metallic material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Glassy metallic alloys have been recently discovered. These materials possess a long-range, randomly-ordered structure, and X-ray diffraction patterns of these materials resemble those of inorganic oxide glasses. As disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,513, issued Dec. 24, 1974 to H. S. Chen and D. E. Polk, compositions of glassy metallic alloys usually comprise about 70 to 87 atom percent metal and the balance metalloid. Typical metals include transition metals; typical metalloids include boron, phosphorus, carbon, silicon and aluminum.
Joining bodies comprising glassy metals and metallic alloys to each other or to crystalline metals by metallurgical welding is a significant problem because of the fact that when a glassy metallic material is heated to its melting point and then allowed to cool in an uncontrolled manner, the material will cool to a crystalline solid rather than to a glassy solid. Due to the rather high metalloid content, the crystalline solid is brittle and has other undesirable engineering properties, as contrasted with the glassy solid, which is ductile and has very desirable engineering properties of high mechanical strength and hardness.